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Lunenburg selectmen hesitant on mutual-aid pact

By Katina Caraganis , kcaraganis@sentinelandenterprise.com

Updated:
05/21/2014 06:36:38 AM EDT

LUNENBURG -- Selectmen raised concerns about entering into a Middlesex County mutual-aid agreement, saying they feel uncomfortable giving police officers they have never met before police powers in town to conduct business in an emergency.

Police Chief James Marino went before selectmen Tuesday night asking that they review and approve the Middlesex County Interagency Mutual Aid Agreement, which would empower on-duty police officers in one jurisdiction to respond to public-safety emergencies in other participating jurisdictions in certain circumstances.

The agreement is twofold.

First, a police chief or officer in charge of a certain shift has a formal method of asking for mutual aid from a neighboring community during a critical crime in progress, according to the agreement.

Second, an on-duty officer, who may be traveling in another community to transport a prisoner or to attend court, can act if he observes unlawful behavior in that community, even if it is not his own jurisdiction.

Selectman Tom Alonzo said he is concerned about signing the agreement, saying that not knowing officers who may come into town is troubling.

"On first read, I'm not entirely comfortable with someone having police powers in town that I've never met," he said. "It's an enormous authority in our town for someone to have that (who) we don't know."

Marino said he cannot remember a time where a police officer acting in accordance with the agreement has acted unlawfully or in a way that is unbecoming of an officer.

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Alonzo said that just because nothing has happened yet doesn't mean something won't happen in the future.

"Giving policing powers to someone else is huge," he said.

Selectman Paula Bertram said Worcester County has a similar agreement for its police departments, and said she would like to review the language in both documents before making a decision on whether she would sign it.

Selectmen meet again June 3 and will make a decision on the agreement at that meeting.

Selectmen did approve appointing acting Police Sgts. Sean Connery and Jack Hebert to the position of police sergeant.

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